Melusine (playable)
The nommo often use themselves as an example of an ancient sea-dwelling species that has no significant history of psionic power. However, this is not entirely true, and the melusine stand as living testament to ancient psionic dabbling. Eons ago, the nommo discovered a rift to another world that opens once per millennium for one year. The aquatic race, who introduced themselves as the Sirians, that they encountered from this world had a knack for psionic talent. The nommo and the Sirians made a treaty, exchanging one hundred scholars each. The nommo intended to learn the Sirians' secrets and harness their own mind’s untapped potential. Unfortunately for the Sirians, their scholars died of a mysterious plague less than a decade into their study. One thousand years later, when the rift reopened, the descendants of the nommo scholars stepped through. However, centuries of exposure to the race’s home world had changed them into the melusine. The nommo, horrified, permanently sealed the rift and tried, in earnest, to eradicate the melusine who were seen as impure abominations of the nommo bloodline. The nommo of today will steadfastly deny that the melusine are related to them, though the melusine have never forgotten. Physical Description The melusine have several base forms, but they do share common features. Their face is similar to a Nommo’s in structure, though their eyes range from phosphorescent green to luminescent blue. Two smaller “eyespots” glow above each eye in males, or below each eye in females. Their smooth skin is light grey and often tinged with mauve. Their gills are fringed with long, finger-like protrusions. Those that share the merfolk form have lengthy, eel-like tails like the nommo. Unlike the nommo, however, these tails are forked toward the end. Melusine have three different base forms in addition to the standard gender binary. In each form, the female is slightly larger and thinner than the male. The most well known base-form is the “free-mind,” which share the merfolk form and all of the standard characteristics of the melusine. The “over minds” look similar, but are larger and have a third eye in the center of their head in addition to their other eyes and eye-spots. Finally the “low-minds” are sexless bipedal humanoids with advanced muscle structure. Society Melusine society is structured largely on gender and base-form. Perhaps a remnant of their Nommo heritage, melusine are matriarchal, and females hold larger standing over males regardless of base-form. As the name suggests, over minds rule over the other base-forms, while free-minds are the race’s “middle class.” Low-minds are treated as slave labor for the entire race, and those that resist this fate are often made to comply with psionic subjugation. Melusine genetics is a rather complicated subject, with base-form being an inherited genetic trait.. Low-minds are sterile and cannot reproduce. A male and female over mind will always produce low-mind offspring. A male and female free-mind can produce any type of offspring, though over minds and low-minds are more common than free-minds. A female over mind and a male free-mind will produce only free-minds and low-minds. A male overmind/female free mind paring is the most favorable, producing either free-mind or over mind offspring. This set of breeding strictures ensure that all castes have strong ties to one another. Relations Melusine have a long history of keeping to themselves, sometimes disappearing for centuries during periods of hardship (such as during the Bloody War and the Great Flood). Most races view them as peaceful recluses, and their general opinion is usually based on their overall outlook regarding psionics. Of course, their relationship with the Nommo can be best described as “strained.” Alignment and Religion Melusine are rigidly lawful, and share many personality characteristics that are well-known among the nommo, including the ability to justify abhorrent behavior in the name of keeping order. Unlike the nommo, however, the melusine are consummate atheists where the gods of Religion is concerned, and a church is looked down upon as both manipulative and abusive. Adventurers Only the free-mind base-form is known to regularly take up adventuring classes. Of the melusine adventurers, psions, psychic warriors, and vitalists comprise the majority. The minority is represented by wilders, aegoi, marksmen, cryptics, tacticians, soulknives, and dreads in that order. Melusine Racial Traits * +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: 'Melusine are hardy and very intelligent, though they lack social grace and proper respect for races other than their own. * '''Racial Buoyancy: '-170, '''Depth Tolerance: '''3,000 feet * '''Medium: '''Melusine are Medium-sized creatures. * '''Fast Swim Speed: '''Melusine have a base swim speed of 40 ft. * '''Darkvision: '''Melusine can see in the dark up to 60 feet. * '''Light Sensitivity: '''Melusine are dazzled in an area of bright light. * '''Aquatic: '''Melusine cannot breathe air or survive on dry land. They begin suffocating after a number of rounds equal to twice their Con score. * '''Compound Eyes: '''Melusine receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. * '''Psionically Attuned: A Melusine gains the Wild Talent feat for free at first level. When he or she takes a psionic class, he or she gains the Psionic Talent feat for free. * Psionic Aptitude: When a Melusine takes a level in a favored class, he can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point. * Pressure Sensitive (300 feet): '''Melusine are highly acclimated to extreme depths, and suffer from low pressure. Treat this as if they exceeded their pressure range above depths of 300 feet. Race Options The Melusine have no race options as of yet. OGL Section 15 — Copyright Notice * Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. * '''System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. * Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009-2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. * Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 1-3, Copyright 2009-2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. * The Book of Experimental Might. Copyright 2008, Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. * Tome of Horrors. Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Authors: Scott Greene, with Clark Peterson, Erica Balsley, Kevin Baase,Casey Christofferson, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Patrick Lawinger, and Bill Webb; Based on original content from TSR. * Psionics Unleashed. Copyright 2010, Dreamscarred Press.; Authors: Jeremy Smith, Andreas Rönnqvist, and Philip Leco II. * Remarkable Races: Compendium of Unusual PC Races, Pathway to Adventure Edition. Copyright 2009, Alluria Publishing; Author: J. Matthew Kubisz * Fey Folio. Copyright 2010, Alluria Publishing; Author: Matthew Cicci. * Creepy Creatures. Copyright 2010, Alluria Publishing; Author: Sam Hing * Cerulean Seas Campaign Setting. Copyright 2010, Alluria Publishing; Authors: J. Matthew Kubisz, Matthew Cicci, Sam Hing. * Psionic Bestiary, © 2013, Dreamscarred Press. * Psionics Augmented, © 2013, Dreamscarred Press * Ultimate Psionics, © 2013, Dreamscarred Press Category:Nommos